In April 2012, nine founding members signed the documents to launch the Society of Friends of IRGO (SF∗IRGO). Official entry in the Register of Associations, and fiscal assessment as a charitable society had been achieved by October 2012. Administratively, SF∗IRGO is based in Cologne, but it is of course open to all persons willing to actively support the aims of the society.
The aims of SF∗IRGO are:
- to support the independent International Research Group on Ostracoda, both internally and externally
- to help IRGO in administrative and financial routines
- to give aid to organizers of conferences related to Ostracoda
- to promote training courses and research activities on Recent and fossil Ostracoda
- to support, promote and supervise the scientific analysis of research data on Ostracoda in the framework of the ‘Kempf Database Ostracoda’
- to promote the importance of ostracod research outside of IRGO
The bylaws of SF∗IRGO invite the current IRGO president to be member of the Advisory Board of the Society.
Our Flyer from 2013 gives more details on where we started. Today, our society has over 40 members and thanks to actions like bazaars during conferences and our yearly European School on Ostracoda, as well as occasional donations, we were able particularly support early career researchers as well as the organization of ostracod related conferences.